Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The
6’6” undrafted free agent continues to take the league by storm, scoring three
times in the Giants nationally televised, Thursday night slaughter of the
Redskins. Chances are he comes back to Earth eventually, but his
current production puts him on pace to catch 100 balls for nearly a thousand
yards and 16 touchdowns. 75% of that the rest of the way and he easily finishes up as a
top 3 fantasy tight end. His connection with Eli Manning is undeniable and
seems to be benefiting more than anyone from Ben McAdoo’s new offense in New
York.

Lets pour out a 40 oz. for all the former AP owners out there who watched in horror as the Vikings erupted for 241 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground versus the AFC South leading Falcons. Matt Asiata got all the goal line work, but what Jerik McKinnon was able to accomplish between the 20's has dynasty players salivating at the mouth. The talent gap between Minnesota's two backs is unquantifiable, but Asiata's existence all but assures their will be frustration from fantasy owners debating on which back they should start each Sunday. Regardless, McKinnon is a must add this week, and will be a boom or bust flex play whenever you are feeling froggy.

Marvin
Jones, WR, Bengals- Week 4 Stats: Did not play (bye)

Jones
is set to make his 2014 debut in a primetime, week 5 matchup against the Pats.
The third year

receiver out of Cal is coming off a 10 touchdown season, and a
broken foot that has kept him on the sidelines since early August. The 3-0
Bengals are looking like an AFC juggernaut, and despite their unwavering
commitment to the run, their stout defense makes sure the offense gets enough
touches for everyone. I wouldn't start him from the jump just because I want to
see if that foot is back at game speed, but look for him to settle into a serviceable WR3.

DON'T FEAR THE REAPER! After three weeks of at best mixed
results, and at worst a dumpster fire, Eli Manning finally has the Giants
offense clicking like Dorothy's heels. Saving his best work for prime time, the
two-time Super Bowl MVP reminded Kirk Cousins that he still has a lot to prove
before being mentioned in the same breath as his fellow NFC East quarterbacks.
Eli accounted for 5 touchdowns, while the heavily started Cousins accounted for
5 turnovers in Big Blue's big romp.

The Giants play the Falcons, Eagles and Cowboys in their
next three games. Drew Brees and Nick

Foles owners should take note with bye
weeks approaching...

Matt
Prater, K, Broncos- Week 4 Stats: Did not play (suspended)

For
the record I do not endorse rostering two kickers at the same time…BUT if you
have a spot to burn and feel like adding last year’s #2 fantasy foot, now is
your chance. Prater returns from suspension week 6 and is expected to pick
right up where he left off. The Broncos offense has struggled (by
their standards) so far this year, and interim kicker Brandon McManus has
attempted just three field goals thus far. But don’t let that scare you off. The opportunities to score will certainly be there and his big leg/mile high
air combo makes for an enticing ad. There is no harm in waiting until next week
to put in a claim for him, just understand that you run the risk of missing out
on a potential top 5 kicker the rest of the season.

Devin
Hester, WR, Falcons- Week 4 Stats: 5 rec, 70 rec yds, 1 rec TD

This suggestion is aimed more towards bigger leagues (16, 14, deep bench 12's), but there is no denying Hester's resurgence in Hotlanta. He has somehow managed to score double digit fantasy points in three of the first four games, and hasn't lost a step in the return game either. There are a lot of mouths to feed in that passing game, but so far he's managed to eat just about every week. There are worse WR5's you could roster.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Over Labor Day Weekend our good friend Kelly came to visit us for my girlfriend's birthday. One of the things on our weekend bucket list was to lay out and have some drinks in Central Park, so Saturday afternoon that's exactly where we went. About an hour into our time there the ladies were approached by two bros with a microphone and vape pen made out of an old Nintendo controller asking if they wanted to be interviewed about their experiences getting "catcalled"?

The duo said they ran a YouTube page called Wasted Tuiton and that the video would be posted "in a few days." I had completely forgotten to check until just now, but sure enough the video exists! The audio quality is pretty shitty, but aside from that the video actually came out pretty good! So show them some love by taking a look, and keep an ear out for Kell Ann's TLC lyric drop at the five minute mark.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

In episode #11 of the 2 Man Weave Podcast John and I discuss his time in Alaska shooting for the Discovery Channel, the various levels of "realness" in reality tv and the power of social media. We also pay homage to Derek Jeter, examine the peculiar circumstances of former Titans kicker Rob Bironas' death and ogle over Niykee Heaton's Instagram.

0:00- Introduction / Font's Alaska experience7:53- Reality TV (how "real" is it?)17:17- Baseball (Jeter's legacy, what went wrong, how to make the game more watchable)32:36- NFL (crime and punishment, how should we gauge our heroes?)51:17- Rob Bironas mysterious death55:05- Music (Niykee Heaton, Lil Dicky)

ESPN laid down the hammer Wednesday, suspending Grantland editor-in-chief Bill Simmons three weeks for a heartfelt (though profanity ridden) rant against NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, on Monday's edition of his popular podcast The B.S. Report.

Simmons lashed out at the Ginger Hammer, emphatically claiming that Goodell lied during last Friday's press conference while addressing the Ray Rice situation.

"Goodell, if he didn't know what was on that tape, he's a liar," Simmons said Monday. "I'm just saying it. He is lying. I think that dude is lying. If you put him up on a lie detector test that guy would fail. For all these people to pretend they didn't know is such fucking bullshit. It really is — it's such fucking bullshit. And for him to go in that press conference and pretend otherwise, I was so insulted. I really was."

He then dared his bosses to punish him for speaking his mind.

"I really hope somebody calls me or emails me and says I'm in trouble for anything I say about Roger Goodell, because if one person says that to me, I'm going public. You leave me alone. The commissioner's a liar and I get to talk about that on my podcast."

Anyways, Joe and I decided this breaking development called for an emergency podcast, which you can watch in full below. In it we predict Simmons' next move and debate what he meant by "going public." Does Bill Simmons have proof that an ESPN higher-up beats his wife? Who knows! But that's what makes speculating so fun.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Blue became the red
hot pick up Sunday morning after it was announced that Arian Foster was going
to miss the game with a hamstring injury. He showed flashes of skill in the
Texans 30-17 loss to the Giants, including a 46 yard second half scamper. It
took a little while for Houston to get anything going on offense,
which was largely a result of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s three drive-stopping
interceptions. But the fact remains this team stays committed to the run,
making Blue a must own handcuff, who could be in line to see more starts as the
season progresses and Foster’s body continues to deteriorate.

Miles Austin, WR, Browns- Week 3 Stats:
6 rec, 51 rec yds, 1 rec TD

After being injured
or irrelevant for the better part of the past three season, Austin is in the
midst of a full-on resurgence in Cleveland. He has six catches and a touchdown
in each of the past two games and is still available in more than 80% of all
leagues. Brian Hoyer (716 passing yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs) has done the
unthinkable- got fans to forget about Johnny Manziel. And if Austin keeps performing
the way he has been playing they may forget about Josh Gordon next!

The
rookie out of Coastal Carolina turned heads Sunday while filling in for the
injured Bernard Pierce. Taliaferro was the workhorse back, carrying the rock 18
times for 91 yards and a score. Head coach John Harbaugh is on the record
saying they will ride the hot hand as their Ray Rice-less season continues, and
there is reason to believe Lorenzo will have as good an opportunity as anyone
(Pierce/Forsett) to earn his stripes. There’s no way I would throw him in my
starting line-up week 4 against Carolina, but with an enticing week 5 game in
Indy, owners should act now and pay extra close attention to how this backfield
shakes out.

Cody Parkey, K, Eagles- Week 3 Stats: 3 FGs (1 50+), 3 XP

I’ve suggested using your waiver priority on a kicker in the three years that I have been writing this column, but Parkey’s start has been too special to ignore. The undrafted rookie didn’t win the starting job in Philly until after most leagues had already drafted, resulting in the NFL’s top scoring kicker to going unowned in the majority of all leagues heading into week 4. That is simply unacceptable. I know they say it is hard to predict kickers scoring from week to week, but this is a no brainer. High octane, fast paced offense that scores a ton of points to go along with the leg strength to hit from 50+.

The Eagles are
firing on all cylinders right now and have scored the second most points in the
league through three games, so it should come as no surprise that there is fantasy
value to be found deep down their depth chart. Thus far it’s been rookie Jordan
Matthews, not Riley Cooper, who has shined alongside Maclin in their receiving
corp. Matthews caught eight balls for 59 yards and two touchdowns in Philly’s
37-34 come from behind win over the Skins. At this point in time I would not feel comfortable starting him as a fantasy WR 1,2 or 3. But at flex during a
week when you are short on guys due to byes? Sure, why not. Always better to
take a flier on a guy whose team can move the ball (added bonus what that team’s
defense sucks too!).

Eddie Royal, WR,
Chargers- Week 3 Stats: 4 rec, 42 rec yds, 2 rec TD

The oft-dropped
Eddie Royal once again finds himself at the top of some poor fool’s waiver
claim. He’s now scored 10 touchdowns in his last 18 games, and appears to have
leap-frogged Malcolm Floyd as the #2 WR in San Diego. There are a lot of mouths
to feed the Chargers passing game, with Gates, Green, Allen and the
aforementioned Floyd all stealing looks, but I don’t think Royal’s production
will fizzle out like in years past. He’s sitting just outside the top 25
in targets and should continue to excel as their slot receiver. Especially with
the rate at which running backs on his team are going down.

Owen Daniels, TE,
Ravens- Week 3 Stats: 1 rec, 8 rec yds

Daniels was not
fantasy-relevant in the Ravens 23-21 win over the Browns, but look for that to
change moving forward. First string tight end Dennis Pitta suffered a
non-contact hip injury that some fear could sideline him for the remainder of the season. Daniels stands to reap the benefits from this devastating blow to
Baltimore’s middling offense. He won’t put up top 10 tight end numbers
the rest of the way, but he has high end TE2 potential.

In episode #10 of The 2 Man Weave Podcast Gary and I react to the Adrian Peterson abuse allegations and look ahead to week 3 of the NFL season from a fantasy perspective. We also discuss Derek Jeter's farewell commercial and Gary comes clean about how many times he's watched the "Anaconda" video.@danye33 / @lebronaldreagan

Touching tribute (and free corporate advertising) for one of the most iconic New York athletes of all time. You don't have to be a Yankees fan to appreciate what Jeter meant to this team, this sport and this city. I'll be forever thankful that I was able to follow his career from start to finish, and for the one week of no homework my class was granted following the Yankees '96 World Series win when I was in 3rd grade.

(ESPN) One thing coach Lovie Smith has said several times is he wants to make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers relevant again. They haven’t been to the playoffs since 2007 and haven’t won a postseason game since their Super Bowl victory more than a decade ago. They are coming off a 4-12 season and have a bunch of new faces and a new coaching staff.But one expert already sees the Bucs as relevant. That is ESPN analyst Herm Edwards, a former Tampa Bay assistant. Edwards predicted the Bucs and the Pittsburgh Steelers as his two Super Bowl teams for the upcoming season.

Talk about a blow to your credibility. The team you predicted to win the AFC just gave up 56 consecutive points en route to getting curb stomped on national television to the Falcons, one week after losing at home to an Austin Davis led Rams team. I know some people thought they would be a sexy sleeper pick (Bill Simmons picked them to win the division) heading into the season with their new coach, quarterback (LOL) and a healthy Doug Martin, but this team is a dumpster fire. They couldn't make a tackle or hold on to the ball to save their life last night, and their center tried using the football as a butt plug.

Be sure to tune into Sportscenter this weekend for more of his "expect" analysis.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

I don’t
think there was a single Jamaal Charles owner in the world who didn’t curse out
their television or twitter feed on Sunday thinking “THOSE TWO TOUCHDOWNS
BELONGED TO ME!” But alas here we are, another consensus top 4 pick sidelined,
this time with a high ankle sprain and an unknown timetable for his return. In
the meantime fantasy players should be licking their chops to get their hands
on Knile Davis, the heir to the Chiefs RB1 throne. If you can beat out your league
mates to him on the wire, start him with confidence until Charles returns.

Rainey got the start for the injured Doug Martin (knee)
Sunday and made the most of it, accounting for close to 175 yards of offense in
the Bucc’s 19-17 loss to the Rams. Tampa Bay plays division the division rival
Falcons on a short week Thursday, and if Martin isn’t 100% by then you can
expect another big day from the speedster out of Western Kentucky. After a poor
showing week one on the ground and from the o-line I didn’t think Rainey was
going to be an essential handcuff heading into week 2, but things have
certainly changed since then. In a week that saw Jamaal Charles, Adrian
Peterson, Doug Martin and Ben Tate all hit the sidelines for various medical
and legal reasons, Rainey now finds himself in the #1 waiver wire request
discussion.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins- 22 of 33 for 250 pass
yds, 2 pass TDs

Well, it looks like (the majority of) Redskins fans will
finally see their wish of having Krik Cousins line up under center come true.
Cousins replaced the highly scrutinized Robert Griffin III, who left the game
five minutes into the first with what could wind up being a season ending
dislocated ankle. Kirk meshed quickly, connecting on his first 14 pass attempts
before finishing up the day a respectable 250 yards and two touchdowns, in the
Skins 41-10 rout of the Jags. Analysts and fans have long raved about Cousins
potential as a starter, and now we’re going to have another chance to see it. A
week 4 matchup versus the Giants makes him a great plug and play option for
Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer and Russell Wilson owners during their bye week.

In lieu of his recent child abuse allegations, Asiata got
the nod in replace of the deactivated Adrian Peterson in week 2. He wasn’t able
to get much going on the ground, averaging just 2.8 ypc against the feisty New
England defense. But he was a factor in the passing game, snagging five balls
for 48 yeards and the Vikings only touchdown. AP’s healthy scratch from the
lineup certainly isn’t what most owners banked on when they took him with their
first pick in this year’s draft, but if they can get their hands on Asiata on
the waiver wire it will serve as a small consolation prize while Peterson’s
legal mess sorts itself out. On Monday, the Vikings said Peterson would be back
in pads this week and on the field Sunday, but as we have seen in recent weeks, if
the public takes a strong enough stance and sponsors start to pull out, harsher
punishment may follow. Asiata is worth an add in all formats.

Niles Paul, TE,
Redskins- Week 2 Stats: 8 rec, 99 rec yds, 1 rec TD

The former fifth rounder out of Nebraska is flourishing in
Jordan Reed’s absence. He is second among all tight ends in receiving yards with
185 and has proven to be a viable goal line option as well, scoring on a 2 yard
fade in Sunday’s blowout win. Cousins seems to favor his tight ends and backs
in the passing game, which is bad news for Pierre Garcon and Desean Jackson
owners, but good news for those lucky enough to scoop Paul off the waivers.

Walker was the lone bright spot in the Titans let down loss to
the Cowboys, hauling in 10 balls for 142 yards, including a 61 yard
score. He is easily Jake Locker’s favorite target and could provide stability at
a position where aside from the top guys, there is not much. Delanie has now passed
the pylons in consecutive weeks and should be 100% owner across the board.

Donald Brown, RB, Chargers- Week 2 Stats: 7 car, 21
rush yds

First
string running back Ryan Mattews is expected to miss 4-5 weeks with an MCL
sprain, leaving plenty of carries up for grabs in the San Diego backfield.
Brown wasn’t that effective against the Seahawks stout d-line, but should have
an easier go of things with upcoming games vs. the Bills and Jaguars. Expect to
see more of Danny Woodhead, especially in the passing game, but Brown should
still put up low end RB2/flex numbers in Matthews’ absence.

James Jones, WR, Raiders- Week 2 Stats: 9 rec, 112
rec yds, 1 rec TD

We knew someone would wind up catching balls in
Oakland, and after two weeks it would appear James Jones is the wide receiver to
covet. He caught 9 of 14 targets for 112 yards and a touchdown in the Riaders
30-14 loss to the Texans. Jones continues to excel in the red zone, and in garbage
time, and is making a strong case for WR3 consideration. Especially once bye
weeks start rolling around. Don’t love the offense, but I do love the volume of
work he is seeing.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Those eyes. Those crazy eyes, man. AP pull yourself together. I know this isn't a Ray Rice-type deal breaker where the whole nation is against you, but how about showing a little remorse in your mugshot? You look like you're about to hug the pain out me, and quite frankly, it's freaking me out.

P.S. I know it's none of my business how another man chooses to discipline his kids, but if I'm being objective I will say those bruises seemed a tad aggressive.

Friday, September 12, 2014

In episode #9 of The 2 Man Weave Podcast Gary and I react to week 1 of the NFL season from a fantasy perspective, before looking ahead to week 2. We also discuss the Ray Rice debacle and make fun of the San Diego @Chargers twitter account.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Famed Bond villain (but lets be honest, he will always be Mr. Larson to you) Richard Kiel passed away Tuesday at a Fresno, California hospital. The 7'2" henchmen is responsible for spawning one of the most in-effective 007 characters and making Shooter McGavin quiver in his golf spikes. I can only hope that he'll be waiting for us in heaven's parking lot someday.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

It looks like journeyman back Justin Forsett has found himself a comfy new home. The seven year NFL vet racked up 84 total yards and a score Sunday in the Ravens 23-16 loss to the Bengals. Forsett got the green light after interim starter Bernard Pierce fumbled away his chance at fantasy glory. The former seventh round pick is expected to get the start Thursday against the Steelers, and possibly longer, in the wake of Baltimore’s decision to part ways once and for all with Ray Rice. Rice was originally only slated to be suspended two games this year following a domestic abuse incident with his then-fiancé in an Atlantic City casino. But after video emerged of the brutal attack itself, it became clear that he could never step on the field in purple and black again.

Forsett has flex upside, but will have Pierce and rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro breathing down his neck, waiting for him to slip up.

Unless this is your first year playing, chances are you’ve
added and dropped Big Ben from your fantasy team no fewer than a dozen times
over the course of his 10+ year career. He’s always been the steady, not sexy,
pick. The guy you know you can plug in on a bye week or when injuries strike.
But this year feels different. Roethlisberger started out his contract year
campaign on the right foot Sunday, torching the division-rival Browns for 367
yards in the Steelers 30-27 victory. He’s got an slew of weapons to throw to
including last year’s #6 fantasy receiver Antonio Brown (5 rec for 116 yds and
a TD on Sunday), second year speedster Markus Wheaton (6 rec for 97 yds),
bruising back Le’Veon Bell (197 all-purpose yards and a score) and the always
reliable Heath Miller at tight end. There’s a good chance he may already be
rostered in your league, but if he’s still sitting there than Romo, RG3 and
Brady owners should definitely be putting in their insurance waiver claim come
Tuesday.

Terence West, RB, Browns- Week 1 Stats: 16 car, 100 rush yds

The third round pick out of Towson University cracked the
century mark in his NFL debut Sunday, filling in nicely for first string
running back Ben Tate, who (predictably) went down with knee injury early on in
the team’s loss to the Steelers. Teammate Isiah Crowell made the most of his
five carries, finding the end zone twice, but it was West who saw the majority
of the post-Tate workload. He remains in line to get the start in week 2 should
Tate miss any time. Knowing his injury history, that seems like a safe bet to
make.

Allen Hurns, WR, Jaguars- Week 1 Stats: 4 rec, 110 rec yds,
2 rec TDs

The undrafted rookie from The U got the start for the
Jaguars this week, after Cecil Shorts’ dental floss-thin hamstrings sored up
heading into the weekend. The 6’3 receiver caught four balls for 110 yards and
two touchdowns, putting Jacksonville up big early, and putting everyone’s
Survivor Pool on red alert. Ultimately, the Eagles soared back to win it,
scoring 34 unanswered points in the process. But Hurns left his mark on his
coaches and fantasy owners across the country in the process. He’ll undoubtedly
be the most universally sought after waiver wire add this week, and though
there’s no guarantee he will repeat his week 1 numbers anytime soon, the
potential is there. But I’d like to see it one time before entrusting him with
a WR3 or Flex start.

Malcom Floyd, WR, Chargers- Week 1 Stats: 4 rec, 50 rec yds,
1 rec TD

M-80 went off Monday night in Arizona, catching four passes
for fifty yards and a touchdown in San Diego’s heartbreaking 18-17 loss to the
Cardinals. It was clear that Rivers’ trusted Floyd from the get-go, targeting
him early and often, connecting on a
handful of drive-extending plays. This was Floyd’s first game back from a
broken neck, but his fearless play makes him a passable WR3 heading into a
brutal week 2 battle versus Seattle.

Dwayne Allen, TE, Colts- Week 1 Stats: 4 rec,
64 rec yds, 1 rec TD

Despite seeing two less targets than teammate
Coby Fleener, Allen was the most productive Colts tight end in their week 1
loss to the Broncos. The third year man out of Clemson caught four passes for
64 yards and a touchdown, but most importantly didn’t seem at all bothered by a
hip injury that cost him the 2013 season after just 32 snaps. Allen has big
time upside as the potential #3 target in Indy’s high powered offense and is a
high end TE2 fantasy play. Perfect insurance for owners of injury risk guys
like Gronk and Gates, or unproven up-and-comers like Travis Kelce and Ladarius Green.

Josh Gordon, WR, Browns- Did Not Play Week 1 (suspended)

Are you sick of the Josh Gordon “Will He Or Won’t He Play?”
carousel? Well, that makes two of us. However, the ride is picking up steam
again after word got out that the NFL and NFL Players Association are working
to negotiate a new drug policy. If an agreement is reached, current drug
related suspensions could possibly be reversed. Josh Gordon and Wes Welker have
the most to gain from this revelation, and you’ve got nothing to lose by
stashing last year’s #1 fantasy wide out at the end of your bench until this
legal matter is straightened out.

Friday, September 5, 2014

In episode #7 of The 2 Man Weave Podcast Miggs and I spend an hour and a half previewing the 2014 NFL season. We go division by division talking storylines and picking winners. We also dish out our choices for MVP, rookies of the year, offensive & defensive player of the year and our Super Bowl picks. We finish up with some fantasy football drama and "The Fappening."

If you don't have time to listen to the whole thing, feel free to jump from topic to topic by clicking on the time codes listed below.AFC1:22 - East 15:15 - North 26:48 - South33:52 - WestNFC42:04- East54:47 North1:02:46 South 1:06:59 West (held down the "Y" button and went into hurry up mode)1:08:08 Awards and Super Bowl predictions1:13:20 Fantasy Football drama

1:24:46 "The Fappening"-@danye33 @NickMiggsWant to hear your question answered on-air? Fire an e-mail to dan.chiavetta@gmail.com. No topic is off limits.

Because all MTV airs nowadays is Twilight rip-offs and poor man's recreations of Tosh.0, I've taken it upon myself to present you, the reader, with worthwhile music videos to watch. This installment features the song "Stay High (Habits Remix)" by Tove Lo and boy is it a trip down college memory lane. The video alternates back and forth from slow motion to rapid cut party shots, chronicling her wild night on the town. Shots, ciggs, hook-ups and hangovers, the video has got it all.